


conferences, video calls, and gummy bears

by rhyol1te



Category: Les Misérables - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Video Calls Are Functional And Convenient, Don't copy to another site, M/M, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-24
Updated: 2020-03-24
Packaged: 2021-03-01 04:48:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 948
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23299606
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rhyol1te/pseuds/rhyol1te
Summary: Enjolras is at a conference, and video calls Grantaire and Combeferre. Gummy bears are discussed.
Relationships: Combeferre/Enjolras/Grantaire (Les Misérables)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 32





	conferences, video calls, and gummy bears

Enjolras's computer makes a beeping noise like a dying fire alarm (but quieter) whenever it's making a video call, as if to remind the caller that they have, in fact, pushed the buttons and typed in the emails and done everything to set up a video call.

It's not like Enjolras is going to forget, anyway. All three of their schedules are busy enough that this is the first time that they've all been able to video call each other since Enjolras left for this conference. Oh, they've been texting back and forth, but it's not the same as seeing their faces. Enjolras would stand by the computer and stare at it without blinking if he thought that it might help Combeferre and Grantaire pick up faster, and he just might be doing that, even while he knows it won't.

The computer makes a _bling!_ and Combeferre's face appears on the screen. "Hello, Enjolras. You're been sleeping, right?"

Enjolras sighs. _"Yes_. And hi, Combeferre."

Combeferre smiles. "Good. I'll ship them today."

Grantaire wanders into the frame. _"What_ are you shipping him? Do you have some kind of secret smuggling business going on? Is that the real reason that you had to go to the conference? Because you had to smuggle something?"

"Gummy bears," Enjolras says. "He promised to send me a bag if I got a good night's sleep for once."

Combeferre peers at him through the camera. _"'A'_ good night's sleep? I seem to recall saying that you had to have a healthy sleep schedule for at least a week."

"Hypocrite," Grantaire says, sitting on the back of the couch behind Combeferre. "You were up until one in the morning last night, watching that documentary."

"Just because I don't always have a good sleep schedule doesn't mean that -"

Enjolras sees Grantaire's hand getting bigger on the screen, and then the camera tilts wildly (he must have grabbed the laptop).

"Hey!" Combeferre says.

Grantaire sticks out his tongue at him. "Our boyfriend is a liar," he whispers to Enjolras. "He was up until two."

Enjolras grins. "Weren't you the one who said that he was up until one?"

Grantaire waves a hand. "Unimportant. Momentary amnesia. And look, no one says that I can do numbers."

"That's true!" Combeferre says, grabbing the computer back. Enjolras gets a wonderful view of the ceiling of their apartment.

"Have you been having a good sleep schedule for oh, fine, the past _two_ days?"

"Yes," Enjolras says.

"Good. You can have gummy bears, then."

"We got a fish," Grantaire says.

Enjolras blinks. "I've been gone for a _week_. Not that I'm not glad to have a fish, but a week seems pretty quick to get one."

"It was Joly's," Combeferre explains, "but his cats kept terrifying it or trying to eat it, and then Bossuet almost knocked the tank over. At the next meeting, he asked if anyone wanted the fish, Grantaire made a long rambling speech about fish, and then Joly told him that it was his now, since he obviously had strong feelings about it."

"It's named Saltine," Grantaire says. "After the cracker, and because it's not a salt water fish but it's related to them, and so it's kind of a pun."

Enjolras nods. "Can I see it?"

"Sure," Grantaire says, and makes another grab for Combeferre's laptop.

"Nope!" Combeferre says, and swings it over so that Enjolras can see a good-sized fish tank, complete with a small plant and some rocks, and -

"Where's the fish?"

Grantaire's voice floats out of his laptop's speakers. "Uhhhh, I'm not... oh! There it is."

He points, and Combeferre swings the camera over, and sure enough, there's a small beige fish. It doesn't look unhappy. It doesn't really look happy, either. Enjolras wonders if fish really do expressions. All in all, it looks like a wholly mediocre fish. Enjolras bets that it would say "blub" if it could talk.

"It's a nice fish, I guess," he says.

"Saltine is a _great_ fish. And for that, I'll tell you that I accidentally ate your gummy bears yesterday instead of just sneaking out, buying you new ones and hoping Combeferre doesn't notice."

Enjolras gasps. "You monster!"

"I would have noticed," Combeferre says, grabbing the laptop away from Grantaire and moving back to the couch that Enjolras now realizes he misses a lot more than he thought he would, "but only because I picked out all the red ones for myself."

"You too? I thought I could trust at least one of you to save me gummy bears!"

"Nope," Grantaire says, grinning and draping himself over the couch. "We like sickly sweet jelly candy just as much as you. Well, maybe less. I don't think anyone could match your fanaticism for it. But no, you can't trust us."

"Just with gummy bears, though," Combeferre says. "And don't worry, I'll buy you new ones and ship them tomorrow. I'll even leave half of the red ones in for you."

"Awww," Enjolras says. "How sweet."

"Wait," Grantaire says, leaning over and into the frame, "can't you buy gummy bears there?"

Enjolras sniffs. "They aren't the same."

"Right," Grantaire says. "You have to have the specific ones from this geographic location."

"Yep," Combeferre says, and then twists around to look at the clock behind him. "And if you want me to ship them to you at all, then you should go to bed now."

"But -"

"Gummy bears, Enjolras," Grantaire says.

"Fine. Goodnight!"

"Goodnight," Combeferre says.

"Nighty-night," Grantaire says, and reaches out to log out of the video call.

Enjolras's screen goes dark. He sighs. _Just two more days_ , he thinks, _then this conference is over and I can go home._

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and kudos make me super happy! <3


End file.
